Eagles coach Nick Sirianni accepts responsibility for kickoff decision that led to loss
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said his choice to kick the ball into play with eight seconds remaining resulted in a Jaguars return and a 57-yard field goal that gave Jacksonville a 19-17 win.
The Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 19-17 after a late-game kickoff decision. With eight seconds left and a 17-16 lead following a 48-yard field goal, coach Nick Sirianni chose to kick the ball into the field of play rather than take a touchback. Jaguars returner Ameer Abdullah fielded the kick at the eight-yard line and returned it 53 yards in seven seconds, setting up a 57-yard field goal by Cam Little that gave Jacksonville the victory.
"You know, the guys fought so hard, and then I don’t make the decision that, you know, that I should make at the end of the game, and I cost us that game, and I put that fully on me," Sirianni told reporters. "At the end of the day, I didn’t make the right decision and it cost us the game. ... I didn’t do my job good enough in that situation."
Sirianni said he had reviewed similar end-of-game kickoff situations, including a recent Cowboys-Ravens matchup, but still made the wrong call. He compared the mistake to missing a crucial free throw or a drop in basketball, noting that such errors linger in a coach’s memory.
Analysts pointed out that the Jaguars had no timeouts remaining, which would have made a touchback a safer option, as it would have forced Philadelphia to defend a longer field without the benefit of a timeout.
The incident highlights ongoing debate over the NFL’s rule change that moved the touchback line from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line, creating new strategic considerations for late-game kickoffs.